Chapter 3
Professor Severus Snape entered his office and closed the door behind him. Ignoring the youngest Weasley, he passed her as she sat down in front of his desk. Snape sat down and observed the red-headed girl.
"I'm sure you know why I asked you here," Snape said slowly.
"To thank me?" Ginny asked hopefully.
Snape stood up and walked around his desk and settled in front of Ginny. He smiled sinisterly.
"That's right. I want to thank you," he replied sarcastically, "What would Hogwarts do without a Weasley to incite mayhem, chaos and disorder?"
"I don't incite!" Ginny responded indignantly, "I stopped Harry from killing Cho. Ask Filch."
"People's memory can be altered, Weasley," Snape answered accusingly. "I'm no stranger to conspiracy. I know about that muggle, JFK. I'm a truth seeker. I've got an unknown transfiguration spell and two confused miscreants on my hands. Pieces of the puzzle. And I'm gonna keep looking until I know exactly how this is all your fault."
Ginny was about to reply when Madam Pomfrey's head appeared in Snape's fireplace.
"Professor Snape, Neville Longbottom has been practising his potion making again."
"Pathetic, little no-life vegan," Snape muttered.
Snape walked briskly to his door as Ginny stood up to leave. Before she could take a step, Snape whirled around and smiled at her.
"Not so fast, missy. I'm not done with you yet."
He pointed to her chair. Ginny pouted and plonked back down as Snape left. To her right was a bookcase filled with yearbooks since Hogwarts opened. Gazing at all the bottles in the room, Ginny was unaware of the 1953 yearbook slide out by itself and fall down. Hearing the thud, Ginny looked around and saw the book. Getting up off her chair, Ginny bent down and picked up the yearbook, glancing at the cover. With a shrug, she slotted the book back into place and sat back down in her chair.
***
Later.
Ginny's eyes lowered slowly before opening wide again. She propped up her chin on her hand and sighed at the sight of Professor Binns still talking.
".the International Warlock Convention of 1289."
Ginny could fight no longer. Her eyelids met. In her state of sleep, Ginny heard a female voice which shook her out of her reverie.
"Don't forget, your assignments are due on Friday, class," said the female teacher.
Looking around, Ginny watched as the students in the class begin to file out. Ginny was startled by the changed appearance of the classroom and the old hairstyles.
"I told Miss Hall we'd go help decorate the Great Hall," said a girl with a high voice, "Who are you taking?" She handed a flyer for the Sadie Hawkins dance to her friend. The flyer said 1953.
"David said yes," replied the friend giggling.
"Oh, you're kidding!" the first girl gushed, "He's so dreamy!"
Ginny looked around confusedly, taking in all the changes in the classroom. To her left, a handsome boy stood up and began to leave.
"Thank you," said the teacher, who was collecting papers as students filed past.
The boy made his way up to the teacher and handed in his paper. Ginny suddenly noticed that the classroom was now empty.
"Thank you, James," the teacher said brightly, "How are you enjoying that muggle book I loaned you. The Hemingway?"
"I like it," replied James, "very much. It's honest."
Ginny watched as James reached out and caressed the teacher's hand. In response, the teacher exhaled slowly and smiled.
"Yes, it's, um.it's based on a true story, actually," she stuttered. "He fell in love with his."
Suddenly the door opened and Ginny opened her eyes to the real world.
".even though through this tragedy many..."
Ginny stared at the magic quill that Binns let float above his head to write his words in the air.
".and so this started a long period of social change in our wizarding society."
Professor Binns looked at the class who were all awake and laughing. He looked above his head and saw the quill had just written "DON'T WALK AWAY FROM ME, BITCH!" in huge letters.
"Oh dear," Binns exclaimed as he erased the words.
Ginny looked around to see the boy in front of her smiling.
"Did you see what the quill wrote?"
***
Ginny and Ron were walking down the hallway.
"I'm telling you, something weird is going on," Ginny said.
" Something weird is going on, in a magic school. Ginny, weird is our school motto," Ron replied.
"I know," Ginny responded helplessly, "but I don't know. This bugs me."
Ginny and Ron stopped in front of a small portrait of the lake.
"I don't want to poo-poo your wiggins, but a domestic dispute, a little case of a malfunctioning quill? All sounds like magic school stuff to me," Ron said.
Ron glanced at the portrait and suddenly a wiry-muscled green arm shot out and grabbed him by the shirt. Ron screamed as it pulled at him and slammed him into the wall. Ginny grabbed him by the shoulders and tried to pull him away, but the arm was extremely strong and it pulled Ron away from her and against the locker again. He screamed out in pain when he hit it. Ginny grabbed him again and pulled harder. The arm let him go. Ron fell to the floor as the arm shrank back into the portrait. He scrambled back to his feet, and they both looked around the hall to see the other students' reactions. They were all confused, but stayed away and just stared. Ginny gave Ron an intent look and indicated that they should approach the portrait again and take a look. Ron rubbed his chin and stood ready as Ginny slowly lifted the portrait. She slowly took it off the wall but all they see is wall. Nothing. It appeared to be completely normal.
Professor Severus Snape entered his office and closed the door behind him. Ignoring the youngest Weasley, he passed her as she sat down in front of his desk. Snape sat down and observed the red-headed girl.
"I'm sure you know why I asked you here," Snape said slowly.
"To thank me?" Ginny asked hopefully.
Snape stood up and walked around his desk and settled in front of Ginny. He smiled sinisterly.
"That's right. I want to thank you," he replied sarcastically, "What would Hogwarts do without a Weasley to incite mayhem, chaos and disorder?"
"I don't incite!" Ginny responded indignantly, "I stopped Harry from killing Cho. Ask Filch."
"People's memory can be altered, Weasley," Snape answered accusingly. "I'm no stranger to conspiracy. I know about that muggle, JFK. I'm a truth seeker. I've got an unknown transfiguration spell and two confused miscreants on my hands. Pieces of the puzzle. And I'm gonna keep looking until I know exactly how this is all your fault."
Ginny was about to reply when Madam Pomfrey's head appeared in Snape's fireplace.
"Professor Snape, Neville Longbottom has been practising his potion making again."
"Pathetic, little no-life vegan," Snape muttered.
Snape walked briskly to his door as Ginny stood up to leave. Before she could take a step, Snape whirled around and smiled at her.
"Not so fast, missy. I'm not done with you yet."
He pointed to her chair. Ginny pouted and plonked back down as Snape left. To her right was a bookcase filled with yearbooks since Hogwarts opened. Gazing at all the bottles in the room, Ginny was unaware of the 1953 yearbook slide out by itself and fall down. Hearing the thud, Ginny looked around and saw the book. Getting up off her chair, Ginny bent down and picked up the yearbook, glancing at the cover. With a shrug, she slotted the book back into place and sat back down in her chair.
***
Later.
Ginny's eyes lowered slowly before opening wide again. She propped up her chin on her hand and sighed at the sight of Professor Binns still talking.
".the International Warlock Convention of 1289."
Ginny could fight no longer. Her eyelids met. In her state of sleep, Ginny heard a female voice which shook her out of her reverie.
"Don't forget, your assignments are due on Friday, class," said the female teacher.
Looking around, Ginny watched as the students in the class begin to file out. Ginny was startled by the changed appearance of the classroom and the old hairstyles.
"I told Miss Hall we'd go help decorate the Great Hall," said a girl with a high voice, "Who are you taking?" She handed a flyer for the Sadie Hawkins dance to her friend. The flyer said 1953.
"David said yes," replied the friend giggling.
"Oh, you're kidding!" the first girl gushed, "He's so dreamy!"
Ginny looked around confusedly, taking in all the changes in the classroom. To her left, a handsome boy stood up and began to leave.
"Thank you," said the teacher, who was collecting papers as students filed past.
The boy made his way up to the teacher and handed in his paper. Ginny suddenly noticed that the classroom was now empty.
"Thank you, James," the teacher said brightly, "How are you enjoying that muggle book I loaned you. The Hemingway?"
"I like it," replied James, "very much. It's honest."
Ginny watched as James reached out and caressed the teacher's hand. In response, the teacher exhaled slowly and smiled.
"Yes, it's, um.it's based on a true story, actually," she stuttered. "He fell in love with his."
Suddenly the door opened and Ginny opened her eyes to the real world.
".even though through this tragedy many..."
Ginny stared at the magic quill that Binns let float above his head to write his words in the air.
".and so this started a long period of social change in our wizarding society."
Professor Binns looked at the class who were all awake and laughing. He looked above his head and saw the quill had just written "DON'T WALK AWAY FROM ME, BITCH!" in huge letters.
"Oh dear," Binns exclaimed as he erased the words.
Ginny looked around to see the boy in front of her smiling.
"Did you see what the quill wrote?"
***
Ginny and Ron were walking down the hallway.
"I'm telling you, something weird is going on," Ginny said.
" Something weird is going on, in a magic school. Ginny, weird is our school motto," Ron replied.
"I know," Ginny responded helplessly, "but I don't know. This bugs me."
Ginny and Ron stopped in front of a small portrait of the lake.
"I don't want to poo-poo your wiggins, but a domestic dispute, a little case of a malfunctioning quill? All sounds like magic school stuff to me," Ron said.
Ron glanced at the portrait and suddenly a wiry-muscled green arm shot out and grabbed him by the shirt. Ron screamed as it pulled at him and slammed him into the wall. Ginny grabbed him by the shoulders and tried to pull him away, but the arm was extremely strong and it pulled Ron away from her and against the locker again. He screamed out in pain when he hit it. Ginny grabbed him again and pulled harder. The arm let him go. Ron fell to the floor as the arm shrank back into the portrait. He scrambled back to his feet, and they both looked around the hall to see the other students' reactions. They were all confused, but stayed away and just stared. Ginny gave Ron an intent look and indicated that they should approach the portrait again and take a look. Ron rubbed his chin and stood ready as Ginny slowly lifted the portrait. She slowly took it off the wall but all they see is wall. Nothing. It appeared to be completely normal.